Which Jesus Does the Eternal Gospel Preach?

2008-10-18 21:56

Do the apostles and prophets preach the child Jesus who was born of a virgin? Or the young Jesus who discussed the Bible with the teachers for three days? Or the good Jesus who was obedient to his parents in Nazareth? Or Jesus who was led by the Spirit in the desert, where he fasted forty days?

Or Jesus who turned the water into wine? Or the poweful Jesus who made the wind and the waves quiet and walked on the water? Or the miraculous Jesus who fed five thousand people with the lunch of a boy and gathered twelve basketfuls?

Or Jesus who opened the eyes of the blind, cleansed the lepers, healed many of the sick and even raised the dead? Or the amazing Jesus who was transfigured to a glorious body on the mount of transfiguration? Or the merciful Jesus who reattached and healed the ear of Malchus, which was cut off?

Jesus whom God preaches through His apostles and prophets is not Jesus of miracle and wisdom, but Christ Jesus crucified. It is written, "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:22-24).

The gospel that the apostles and prophets preach is Christ Jesus crucified. It is written, "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." (Ephesians 2:20).

The chief cornerstone of the house of God is not Jesus of miracle and wisdom, but Christ Jesus crucified. Any house that has no this chief cornerstone is not the house of God. The house of God is the church, and the head of the church is Christ Jesus crucified.

The present earthly church has Jesus of miracle and wisdom, not Christ crucified. That church is the church of men, not the church of God. That church does not have the forgiveness of sins, and so it has no salvation. It is because sin still remains without Christ crucified.

Christ crucified is the gospel. anyone without it has nothing to do with God. Men dislike the gospel of the cross. Therefore, the Bible says, "But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our message?' Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:16-17). The word of Christ is the message (the word) of the cross.

The gospel that the apostles and prophets preach is Christ crucified, and faith coming from hearing the gospel is faith in Christ crucified. Therefore, the Bible says, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." (Ephesians 4:5). And also, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14).

It is written, "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.'" (Zechariah 8:9). Now let's hear the words spoken by the prophets.

"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD'S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:1-12). Amen. This is the eternal gospel preaching Christ crucified. Thank you, Lord.